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Does your refrigerator have indigestion? Burp that baby!

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Does your refrigerator have indigestion? Burp that baby!

By Steve Savage, Mobility RV Service

There was a time when “burping” an RV refrigerator was a standard service technique. Burping has gradually fallen by the wayside, so only old-timers remember when it was commonplace.

Up until somewhere in the early 1990s refrigerator cooling coils — those coils you can see when you remove the exterior cover on the back of your refrigerator — used to block easily. Refrigerator manufacturers eventually modified the design and the problem is less frequent. It still pops up from time to time, and sometimes you can get lucky and save over a $1,000 on a new refrigerator using the burp method.

Coils most often become blocked when an RV refrigerator is left turned on while the RV is parked on a steep slope. When in that position for a prolonged period (hours), the rust preventive that circulates in the coils, along with the water, ammonia and hydrogen, form crystals. These crystals travel up and down the tubing until they block the smaller tubes and the refrigerator then stops working.

How do you know if your cooling coil is blocked? In a blocked coil, the burner tube will be very hot but the coils on the left side of the refrigerator (in the back) will not be warm at all. This will manifest itself after the refrigerator has been run overnight. Anytime you smell ammonia or see yellow or a yellow liquid on the bottom of the burner tube, you have a definite “leaker.” Your cooling coil has gone to heaven and must be replaced.

If the coils are hot on both sides of the back or you hear a gurgling sound and the refrigerator is not cooling, it most likely is a leaker. The coolant charge is likely gone, meaning you’re in for either a new refrigerator or cooling coil. If the refrigerator is very old, given the cost of new factory coil I would opt for a whole new refrigerator. I also only “recoil” with original factory coils, given the problems we and fellow techs have experienced with reliability from other sources.

If your refrigerator is not cooling and you find it is only hot on one side in the back, burping is worth a try. It does take a considerable amount of labor and time.

• Familiarize yourself with how to remove your refrigerator from the cabinet where it is installed.

• Allow the refrigerator to cool down, if you have been operating it, and remove the refrigerator. Place it on the floor of your RV. We use a heavy carpet remnant so as not to mar the floor. It will be heavy and awkward, but two strong men can do it without too much trouble. Mind you, we don’t even attempt this with one of the big four-door models.

• With the refrigerator completely disconnected, tip it gently onto its side in such a way that the side that was not heating up is down. The side with the burner tube will orient up. Leave it overnight and the fluids inside will redistribute. Historically, folks said to turn it completely upside down, but we have had equally good luck laying it on its side.

• Next day, stand it back up, plug it in using an extension cord, and extend the 12-volt leads so you have power to the control panel (eyebrow board) at the front of the refrigerator. Turn the refrigerator on.

• Allow two hours to pass, and if you are lucky you will find the coil that was not getting warm before is now becoming warm. You should have a cold freezer and the lower compartment will begin to cool. It takes almost a day for it to completely cool down. If this is taking place, the refrigerator coil is no longer blocked and you can reinstall it and leave it on.

The downside to this procedure is there is no guarantee the coil will not become blocked again in the future. Despite this dark cloud, successfully burped refrigerators often go on to have many more years of productive life. The upside is, if it works, you have just saved yourself well over $1,200 in replacement costs or the expense of a new coil and the labor to install it, so we try this procedure first.

Why don’t dealerships do this? Many techs are young and do not know this was routine in years past. Additionally, it is not possible to issue a guarantee with this type of service, so the owner has to understand it may not work. Of course, if it doesn’t, the refrigerator is already out and ready to be serviced or replaced, so the labor involved is not a total loss.

Ask the RV Tech: How much value is there in RV forum advice?

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Ask the RV Tech: How much value is there in RV forum advice?

Steve Savage
Mobility RV Service
flat earthIn my opinion, the more you know, the less value there is in following these sites — and the less you know, the more confused you are likely to become. The problem, as I see it, is this: Some information on the forums is as good as you will find anywhere. On the other hand, some information is so bad, it moves into the realm of downright dangerous.

What I find is some very long threads discuss theoretical issues as though they present themselves as common problems when, in fact, they never occur. Those issues raise anxiety unnecessarily and waste folks’ time tending to things that never break.

The posts, however, that drive me crazy are the ones which read as though how things work and what is safe is simply a matter of opinion and openly deny legitimate sources of information.

For those reasons, I encourage anyone who uses the Internet as a source of information to conduct broad searches giving priority to manufacturers and professionals. Bear in mind, just because everyone says something doesn’t mean it’s right, and consensus is never a substitute for engineering. At one time everyone believed the world was flat!

Not boondocking? Here’s a way to save some money

Chuck Woodbury
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Not boondocking? Here’s a way to save some money

By Jim Twamley
Liquid petroleum gas (LPG), or propane, is what we full-time RVers try to conserve. Lots of things can run off of propane in RVs including the refrigerator, stove/oven, heater, water heater and even the generator.

One of the ways to conserve your LPG is to use as many electric appliances as you can. I rarely use the stove unless I am boondocking (dry camping — without hook-ups). Instead I use electric appliances like the coffee pot, microwave, electric heater, crock-pot, electric pot and electric skillet. I use the pot and skillet almost every day. I particularly like the pot because it has a vegetable steamer and I like the safety break-away magnetic cord. We also switch the refrigerator and water to electric when in a campground with hook-ups.

By using appliances we conserve on LPG to the point that we only refill the tanks every three months or so. When we first started RVing we were filling the LPG tanks every few weeks. At campgrounds you have already paid for the use of the electricity, so use it and save $$$.

More ammo than you ever imagined in rural Nevada

Chuck Woodbury
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More ammo than you ever imagined in rural Nevada

No matter which direction you drive into Hawthorne, Nev., you will be fascinated with the miles of countless bunkers surrounding the small desert town. But if you nose around you will soon learn that those bunkers — 3,000 all together, spread over 237 square miles — house the world’s largest supply of munitions. One third of the weapons used in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan were once stored in Hawthorne.

The Hawthorne Ordnance Museum, right on the main drag of town, tells everything you ever need to know about munitions — bombs, rockets, depth charges, mines, torpedos and whatever else the American military has developed in the last 75 years or so to kill an enemy. All the weapons were either manufactured, stored or tested in Hawthorne. The display is mind-boggling.

My tour guide was Herman Millsap, who retired from the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot after 42 years. The military facility was established in Hawthorne in 1930 after a disastrous explosion destroyed a similar Navy facility in New Jersey that leveled a town and killed more than 50 people.

His “five minute” tour lasted about a half-hour and was fascinating. What I came away with was the thought of how incredibly brilliant and innovative we Americans are at building weapons, but saddened that we need to create such evil things in the first place. Just thinking about the destruction many of the weapons can bring to a human body is like pondering a nightmare.

“The way it works is develop and counter,” said Millsap. “One side develops a weapon, then the other side devises a way to counter its effectiveness and the process goes on and on.”

One story that Millsap told was of a World War II magnetic device that was launched over the side of a destroyer with the intent of landing on a German submarine and then attaching to its side. Once there, the “Anti Submarine Knocker” would bang away, exposing the location of the sub for the destroyer’s depth charges. Watch the one minute video below to see Millsap explain the device.

Stop by the museum if you are traveling U.S. 95 through Nevada. You can’t miss it. It’s open 10 to 3, Monday through Saturday. Admission is free. For more information, call (775) 945-5400.

Photos: Top: Inside the museum. Middle: Outside the museum. Bottom: Control panel that controlled remote control helicopter than could be used to drop torpedoes or for reconnaissance.

Why your RV roof needs to flex

RV Staff
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Courtesy Dicor Corporation
[Editor’s note: This information is provided by roof membrane manufacturer Dicor. While there’s plenty of “promotion” for their product included, some of the information and principles may be of assistance to our readers.]

Most people don’t think of the need for an RV roof to be flexible, but flexibility is a vital characteristic that every RV roof needs. Why is flexibility so important? The reason is simply that as an RV travels down a road it flexes. Whether it’s from going around a corner, or traveling over an uneven road, or coming to a sudden stop, your RV flexes. So your roof must flex, too, because if it doesn’t, it could start to crack and that could cause leaks. If you are thinking about putting a new roof on your RV or buying a used unit, read on.

Two significant factors that can affect a roof’s flexibility are colder temperatures and the roof’s age. Let’s talk about colder temperatures first.

All of today’s modern roofing membranes are flexible at moderate temperatures but will stiffen when it gets colder. Some membranes such as Dicor’s DiFlex II™ hold up better under colder temperatures than others. This was demonstrated by an independent third party testing certain membranes in what is known as a “Low Temperature Impact Test.” Sounds pretty scientific, don’t you think? Well, it is.

During this test, a six-pound hammer is brought down on a sample of material at a specified temperature. The sample fails if it shows any signs of cracking. DiFlex II TPO passed the test down to -60 F. Another membrane used in the manufacture of RVs roofs failed at only -20 F. Although it’s unlikely that anyone will be RVing at 60 below zero, this test vividly demonstrates just how flexible and tough the DiFlex II membrane is.

How might age affect your roof? Some RV roofs use a material that requires additives to make it flexible. These additives are called phthalate-based plasticizers. The common designations of these chemicals are: DEHP, DINP and DIDP. As the membranes that contain these materials age, these plasticizers will over time leach out of the membrane due to rain or exposure to the sun, causing the roof to become more brittle. If the roof gets too brittle, it becomes at risk of cracks from hail events. As hailstones impact a brittle roof, they can cause spiral or lateral impact cracks. DiFlex II does not contain any of these plasticizers and remains flexible throughout its lifetime.

Today’s roofing membranes are really marvels of chemistry, but like all things, they each have their own characteristics. So if you’re thinking about a new roof for your coach, consider DiFlex II. It’s one more layer of security and peace of mind. When you think about everything you have riding under your roof, that kind of assurance is an important part of your RVing experience.

Using small inverters to keep your stuff charged

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Using small inverters to keep your stuff charged

By Dave Helgeson
Traveling with all of today’s modern conveniences like digital cameras, cordless tools, laptops, tablets, electric razors, etc., equates to the need to charge them on a regular basis. If you frequently dry camp for long periods, do you find yourself constantly battling to keep things charged? While some of the items mentioned above can be operated with a 12-volt adapter/charger via a 12-volt outlet in your RV, others cannot.

One solution to this problem is an inexpensive, low wattage inverter. An inverter converts 12 volts DC, which is the primary operating voltage of your RV, tow vehicle and/or dinghy, into 120 volts AC, which is what comes out of your wall outlets in your home and RV when connected to shore power.

In the United States, chargers that plug into a wall outlet require 120 volts AC. When moving between dry camps or out exploring from base camp, plug the inverter into the 12-volt outlet (cigarette lighter, for those of us over 50) of your motorhome or tow vehicle and the items that need recharging into the inverter. When the vehicle is running, the engine’s alternator provides the amps to power the inverter and, in turn, the item that needs recharging. This technique is much more efficient than running a generator to provide the low wattage most items need for a recharge. (Your dry camping neighbors will appreciate the lack of generator noise, too.)

Note about inverters: Ohm’s law tells us that the voltage multiplied by amperage equals wattage. Therefore, if you have an item that requires 120 watts of 120 volt AC power, that equates to 1 amp (120 volts x 1 amp = 120 watts). Conversely that 120-watt item, when operated via a 12-volt inverter, requires 10 amps* (12 volts x 10 amps = 120 watts). For most low-wattage inverters, your standard 12-volt outlet can deliver sufficient amperage. However, if you plan on powering something that requires higher wattage items, make sure you have heavy enough wire on the 12-volt side of the inverter.

*Actually, the amperage will be somewhat higher than this as inverters are not 100% efficient, but for quick calculations this keeps the math simple. [Editor’s note: Inverter “efficiency loss” can be significant, and varies by the inverter itself. Many experts in the field suggest knocking off at least 10 percent for efficiency loss.]

Simplify backing into your RV space

RV Staff
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By Steve Savage,
Mobility RV Service

If you tow, I suspect you  have suffered through the stress that comes along with backing into your space in the campground with everyone watching. The yelling matches between spouses can reach divorce-pending proportions and discussions about the best way to communicate between the person driving and the person directing have been going on for decades.

My wife and I are no different than many of you and, although we’ve been RVing now since the early ’80s, I rate myself about average when it comes to backing into a space at the campground. Sometimes I do “really well” — other times I do “oh, well.”

My wife and I have finally discovered something that really works well for us and thought it might be worth passing on. To do this, you will both need cell phones and also have either a radio in your tow vehicle that can receive phone calls via Bluetooth or something like a Jabra (headphone/headset) that clips to the visor and does the same thing. For us it goes like this:

After we stop at the office and register, my wife calls my cell phone with hers and my radio answers her phone. Once that happens, we are linked and can talk hands-free when I back into the spot. Once we get to the spot, I get out of the truck one time to look over what I am trying to do. Then I get back into the truck and from then on, she is in control via her phone. She is the “quarterback,” so to speak.

Doing it this way it is very easy for her to move from side-to-side behind our fifth wheel and give me instructions. It also eliminates the driver getting in and out of the truck and makes it tons easier to get into a space after dark.

If you are already using walkie-talkies, think how much simpler it would be to talk hands-free while backing rather than having to “key” your mike, and how much easier it is to use your mirrors for backing rather than trying to locate your assistant and interpret hand signals. Now, nothing I am suggesting here means you can’t use your mirrors just as you always did. It just makes it easier to communicate with the person helping you back into your spot when you can talk in “real time” instead of stopping to yell at each other.

Roof reflectivity can help your RV beat the heat

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Courtesy Dicor Corporation and RVtravel.com staff
You may have noticed the logo for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program attached to various appliances, electronics, office equipment, heating and cooling products — and the list goes on and on. But what exactly is Energy Star? Energy Star is a program to identify and promote energy-efficient products and buildings in order to reduce energy consumption, improve energy security, and reduce pollution. An Energy Star rating means the product has been tested and found to meet high standards for energy efficiency.
However, did you know that one such requirement for roofing products can apply to RV roofing membranes? A key feature in energy efficiency in roofing products is a factor called reflectivity. What is reflectivity? It’s the measurement of a material’s ability to reflect solar energy back into the atmosphere. It is like the expression: “Right back at you.” Light hits a surface and, instead of being absorbed, it is “reflected” back into the atmosphere. Reflectivity is measured as a percentage on a scale from 0 (hotter interior) to 100 (cooler interior). The higher the number the better, since it is reflecting more light. It’s what makes for a “cool” roof.
There are many roofing choices available nowadays for RVers, whether you are buying a new RV or replacing a roof on a current RV. There are different colors, different types (EPDM, TPO, etc.) and different textures. But for greater reflectivity, flexibility and long life, look to products like DiFlex II Polar White and its Energy Star testing performance. In order to be eligible for the EPA’s Energy Star program, our DiFlex II Polar White roofing had to have a reflectivity greater than or equal to 65 percent. Polar White’s reflectivity is a whopping 86 percent, putting it well ahead of the requirement, and designating Polar White as the kind of roofing material that can make a difference in your energy costs. It helps extend the life of your air conditioner because it runs less. And because it runs less, it also saves energy while reducing noise in the campground, something your neighbors will appreciate as well.
Editor’s note: This information is largely provided by roof membrane manufacturer Dicor. While there’s plenty of promotion for its product included, some of the information and principles may be of assistance to our readers. 

Backup cams: Changing your trailer hitching routine

RV Staff
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By Dave Helgeson
Ever since man first attempted to back a horseless carriage up to the coupler of a trailer he has been trying to devise an easier way to make tow ball and coupler come together in harmony.
Wives have used hand gestures in futility, convex mirrors have been mounted on trailer tongues reflecting a (distorted) view of the tow ball to the driver, “V” shaped deflectors have been mounted on bumpers in the hopes of guiding the coupler over the ball, verbal instructions between spouses via two-way radios have led to division, even tennis balls mounted on fiberglass rods have been employed to solve this age-old problem.
The digital age, which has made life easier in many other of life’s arenas, has also solved the problem of hooking up a trailer. Relatively inexpensive (compared to radios, damaged bumpers/tailgates and broken marriages) backup cameras are now available to RVers everywhere.
There are two basic varieties: wired and wireless. The wired varieties are attached via your license plate frame mounts with power being supplied by your vehicle’s backup lights. The wireless system is powered by alkaline batteries and attaches temporarily (magnetically) to your vehicle. With either variety, the video screen viewed by the driver is powered by the 12-volt outlet in the vehicle’s dash. The screen can also be programmed to rotate the image so you don’t have to reverse what is left and right in your mind as you back up. Now hooking up is a breeze — just turn on the camera and guide the tow ball under the coupler with no fuss or confusing hand signals from your significant other!
An added advantage of the wireless camera is they can also be “stuck” on the steel bumper of travel trailers to view what is behind your rig as you back into tight campsites.

Is your motorhome a “Highline”?

RV Staff
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Courtesy: Motorhomes of Texas

What is it that makes a house a “Mansion”?  Is a 6,000 square foot mobile home a mansion? What makes a car a “Luxury” car? We think of Cadillac and Mercedes as luxury cars but what about the cheaper versions they now offer? Aren’t they still luxury cars?

While those questions will get different answers from different quarters, there is a blurred line that separates one from the other. In the case of motorhomes, some will hold forth that the qualifier is price and they cite a figure $100,000 to $200,000 or higher as the threshold of high-end coaches. Some will say that it’s the size of the coach, or addition of a diesel engine and generator, air ride suspension or air brakes. Still others insist that it’s a combination of these factors and possibly more. While any manufacturer can call their product a “Highline,” there is no official designation or dictionary description of features that allow or disallow use of the term. And to be fair, the term is in fact open to an individual interpretation.

Not to pick on any particular brand, but some manufacturers are not known within the industry as building what industry veterans consider to be high-end units. Still, that outfit might well build products from entry level to those with air ride, air brakes, and $200,000+ price tag units. The folks in that plant may then consider their top-end product to be in the Highline category. Their high-end unit might even be better built and equipped than the lower end offering of a high-end manufacturer, but the former is not thought of as a Highline while the latter is!

Then there’s the manufacturer well-known for building high-end coaches that decides to offer entry-level units. Are their entry-level units automatically “Highline,” as might be with a Cadillac or Mercedes?

Back in the ’70s and ’80s there were many gas-powered rigs like Executive, Vogue, Sportscoach, Kings Hiway, Apollo, Revcon, Country Coach, Foretravel, Landau and others that were considered to be Highline units. That means the addition of diesel and air-operated features were not a requirement for entry into the Highline club back then. Even to this day coaches like Chinook and Born Free, though small, are still considered to be Highline, so size doesn’t make a “Highline” either.

Well, then, what is it?
Most RV industry veterans will agree it’s mostly a process of perception, often connected more to the manufacturer than to the product. We won’t attempt to go down a list of manufacturers designating who is and who is not (in our opinion) considered to be high-end producers — but some are just a “given,” like Prevost conversions, Newells and Blue Birds. Quality cabinetry, superior body frame construction, and custom chassis are regular features of Highline motorhomes, but even those items don’t automatically make a unit anything more than just expensive. It’s hard to imagine a half million dollar motorcoach as anything other than belonging in the Highline category, but there again, it’s really not just price either. It’s the whole package from the manufacturing plant, to the final product, and everything that happened in between.

If you have an RV, sell RVs or build RVs and you want to think of it as a Highline, go right ahead. You may get an argument from the folks in the next campsite, but they’ll have a hard time proving you wrong.

Do you take naps? I do

Chuck Woodbury
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Do you take naps? I do

 

I like to take naps. I’ve taken naps for most of my life. But I have noticed lately that I now take them more frequently. I think it’s because I’m getting older. As a rule I do not like getting older. But taking more naps is okay: it’s a good thing related to old age. The other good thing is not being dead yet.

BE SURE TO TAKE OUR POLL BELOW:
DO YOU TAKE NAPS?

nap530Of all my pleasures in life, taking a nap is among the best. Sometimes my naps last 10 minutes, sometimes an hour. Most of the time I feel no guilt when napping. But sometimes I think, “I really should be working.” I feel guilty for maybe five seconds, then I realize that napping is more important than guilt. I have been self-employed all my life, in part because no employer would permit me to nap whenever I wanted.

My very favorite place to nap is on the couch in my motorhome or on the overhead bunk on a warm summer day. Heat rises, making a nap up there toasty warm. When everything is right — and that means a slight breeze blowing in from the window, the feeling is heavenly. The very best nap is when the temperature is warm enough that I can nap without my shirt, with the breeze flowing over my back like a gentle back scratch. As I have written before, I love my back scratched (not rubbed). So when the breeze does it for me, it’s one of life’s little bonuses.

I MADE SURE when I bought my current motorhome that it had a couch. My last one had only a chair — inadequate for quality napping. With my couch, if I am feeling a little tired while driving, I pull over at a rest area. Within one or two minutes I will be on my couch and ready to nod off. I don’t care about outside noise. If a truck is idling next to me I don’t hear it. I will fall right to sleep no matter what. These naps usually last only 10-20 minutes. That’s all I need. When I awake, I feel refreshed and am ready to drive another 200 miles.

Many people are not nappers, maybe even you. The non-nappers I know tell me they wake up groggy, just the opposite of me. I feel bad for them. They are missing one of life’s joys.

Do you take naps? Answer our poll (and see if other RVers are nappers). And please feel free to leave a comment.

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Are RVers introverts or extroverts?

RV Staff
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Are RVers introverts or extroverts?

Are most RVers introverts? Well, that is surely what an RVtravel.com reader survey suggests. In fact, it shows that RVers are overwhelmingly introverts — not extroverts, who are much more outgoing.

quiz531-2 The book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking describes introverts this way: “At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled “quiet,” it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society — from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.”

Introverts need time alone to recharge their lives. They would not be called “Mr or Ms. Excitement.” The opposite personality is an extrovert, who thrives on being with others: an extrovert might be labeled the “life of a party.” At that same party, an introvert might prefer to sit in a corner and talk with a friend. Introverts can act like extroverts, but it saps their energy after awhile. Introverts usually fear public speaking but can overcome the fear if necessary and even rise to fame as orators. Introverts tend to think things through. Extroverts are less patient and may want to get something done and move on. Most politicians are extroverts.

introvert351Bill Gates and Al Gore are famous introverts who can mimic extroverts. Eleanor Roosevelt was an introvert.

Asians are more introverted. American and European societies are more extroverted. However, Norwegians are famous for being introverts. A joke goes “How do you tell if a Norwegian likes you?” The answer: “He’s looking at your shoes, not his own.”

In our society introverts can be perceived as unsociable or shy. Our society celebrates extroverts and teaches us that being outgoing is superior to being quiet or reserved. Extroverted parents may think something is wrong with their introverted child.

I am an introvert, and I believe that’s a big reason why I love to be away in my RV. I’m a homebody. I like to read, and I can sit in a chair and peer out a window for an hour at a time just thinking. Oh, I like other people and need them, but in moderation. I enjoy attending an RV rally and mingling with the crowd. But when the day is done and I’m “peopled out,” I am ready to retreat to my motorhome for peace. I suspect a lot of other RVers are like me. Maybe even most, judging by our survey results.

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